1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to fitness devices, exercise devices and jump rope simulators and more particularly to a virtual jump rope for providing an exercise workout simulating the jumping of a jump rope as well as for providing a total body workout similar to aerobics.
2) Description of the Prior Art
Jump ropes have been used for years as recreation and/or exercise devices. Although a jump rope may comprise nothing more than a length of an elongated flexible element, such as a rope, it is common practice to attach handles to the opposite ends of the rope to facilitate the rope skipping operation. To prevent the rope from becoming twisted in use, some jump ropes employ bearings for attaching the handles to the ends of the rope. It is known to use bearings of various designs, including ball bearings, for this purpose.
It is also known to add weights to the rope. This may be done to increase the centrifugal force generated in skipping and/or to widen the bottom of the arc of the rope. In this connection, it is known to attach members to the rope and to provide thickened regions along the rope. In any event, the weighted portion of the rope is characteristically, either totally immovable or subject to sliding along the rope due to the centrifugal force exerted thereon in jumping or to other factors. Moreover, the weights may appear unsightly and they add to the cost of the jump rope.
Traditional jump ropes have been popular for users of very high fitness levels, such as professional boxers, but because of the high intensity workout and the difficulty in using jump ropes, many people do not jump rope as part of their exercise workout. In addition, jumping rope is tedious, limited in movements to only do a few basic arm and leg movements which can become boring after jumping rope for awhile. Also, the rope of a traditional jump rope travels under the user's feet and gets caught frequently, even when used by skilled users, which causes frustrating stops & restarts during a workout.
The use of jump rope simulators is known in the prior art. More specifically, jump rope simulators heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
While jump rope simulators are known in the prior art, none have been commercially successful. The prior art simulators have been difficult and expensive to manufacture compared to jump ropes. Also the prior art simulators have been unsafe because they can strike and harm the user. Prior art simulators can hit the user on the arms or body with a rotating hard object, or hit the user on the body, head or in the face. Moreover, prior art jump rope simulators are not practical for use in aerobics classes or group exercise workouts because they require a large amount of room and are dangerous as mentioned above.
In these respects, the jump rope simulator according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides a safe and enjoyable apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing an exercise workout simulating the jumping of a jump rope, as well as for the purpose of providing numerous additional exercises.
The importance of overcoming the various deficiencies noted above is evidenced by the extensive technological development directed to the subject, as documented by the relevant patents. The closest and apparently more relevant developments in the patent literature can be gleaned by considering U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,341 (Jones), U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,469 (Cedar), U.S. Pat. No. 1,505,473 (Klubnick), U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,956 (Strachan), U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,799 (Anderson), U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,883 (Dybvik), U.S. Pat. No. 3,249,356 (Schwietzer) and U.S. Pat. No. 2,223,174 (Huges).